Issue 6 - Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United ...

NEWS ROUND-UP
New
Commissioners
We are delighted to announce the appointment of
six new Commissioners:
Dr Mark Collins,
Director, Commonwealth Foundation
Professor Mark Cleary,
Vice-Chancellor, University of Bradford
Professor Christine Humfrey,
Special Professor in International Higher Education,
University of Nottingham
Dr Nyovani Madise,
Reader in Social Statistics, University of Southampton
Dr Rosemary Stevenson,
former Head, DFID South East Asia
Dr Jonathan Wastling,
Reader in Infection Biology, University of Liverpool
2008 SELECTIONS
The Commission has now made selections for the
2008/2009 academic year. 389 candidates have
been selected in total so far:
256 DFID-funded Commonwealth Scholarships,
including General, Split-site and Academic Staff
Scholarships.
68 FCO-funded Commonwealth Scholarships,
awarded to students from developed
Commonwealth countries.
65 Commonwealth Fellowships, awarded to
university staff from developing countries.
Selections for Professional Fellowships and Distance
Learning Scholarships will be made in the next
few months.
50TH ANNIVERSARY LOGO
Some of our readers might have noticed our new
logo on our website and other CSC materials. The
new design is to mark the 50th anniversary of the
Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan,
which falls in 2009. There will be a programme of
events to celebrate the anniversary on a
Commonwealth-wide basis, and you will be able to
find out more in our next issue of Commonwealth
Scholarships News and on our website,
www.cscuk.org.uk
COMMONWEALTH DAY
On Monday 10 March 2008, Commonwealth
Scholars and Fellows were amongst those from
Commonwealth nations who joined together at
Westminster Abbey for the thirty-first
Commonwealth Day observance. Attended by HM
The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, the
multifaith service summoned the dignity and wisdom
of people in the Commonwealth to develop a
commitment to reverse the trends of climate change.
A central focus of the ceremony was to collectively
make six affirmations, including statements of the
unique worth and dignity of every person and of
respect for all living creatures. Finally, in keeping with
the theme of the ceremony, all affirmed recognition
that environmental degradation, including climate
change, poses a grave threat to humanity and that it
is each person’s responsibility to work now and in the
future to create a sustainable world.
NEW AWARDS ADMINISTRATOR
We are delighted
to welcome Fiona
Groenhout to the
Commonwealth
Scholarship Commission’s
secretariat as an Awards
Administrator. Fiona took
up her post in March
2007, having completed
her PhD in history at the
Fiona Groenhout, University of Western
new Awards Administrator Australia last year
INTERFAITH RELATIONS EVENT
The Commission held an event at Cumberland
Lodge in April for current Commonwealth Scholars
and Fellows to discuss the important topic of
interfaith relations. The opening session
introduced the philosophy behind interfaith
dialogue. Keynote speakers Professor Modjtaba
Sadria, from the Institute for the Study of Muslim
Civilisations, and Revd Guy Wilkinson, the Church
of England’s Inter Faith Relations Adviser,
examined why interreligious engagement is
necessary and explored how it can be achieved.
Attendees were asked to consider whether a
dialogue can occur, given the diversity within
faiths, and to question the agenda of the language
involved.
On Saturday, the debate was broadened into legal
and public policy issues. Maleiha Malik, from
King’s College London, discussed the UK
government’s attempts to manage Muslims and
Islam in Britain, highlighting postcolonial legacies
and the developing self-identification of groups in
Britain along religious as well as ethnic lines. Dr
Adam Dinham, Director of the Faiths and Civil
Society Unit, later introduced the UK government’s
current policy perspective, exploring the
contradiction between faiths as a site of resources
and faiths as the greatest threat to security. He
suggested ways the policy could be improved,
touching on the integrationism versus
multiculturalism debate.
A session at the CSC interfaith event, April 2008
FRIENDS OF THE COMMONWEALTH
Friends of the Commonwealth is a new initiative for
people who share an interest in Commonwealthrelated
issues and who want to do something about
them. Friends can express their own views and
exchange them online with others. They can search
for international development jobs and internships.
They can offer their services as mentors, advisers or
simply as ‘Friends’ to those seeking information or
advice around the Commonwealth. They can
volunteer and attend specific Friends events. And
they can build their own networks and contacts
through Friends.
If you have thoughts and views about
Commonwealth issues and events, have skills and
experience to offer or want to support our work,
Friends of the Commonwealth will give you lots of
interesting ways to do so.
Becoming a Friend couldn’t be easier. Simply visit
www.commonwealthfoundation.com/friends and
register for the regular Friends e-update newsletter.
It’s free and open to everyone.
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